Zatarain's
Open Food Facts brand roll-up for Zatarain's, current as of September 2026. Screening averages and flag shares live in the short-answer band below. This hero only situates the catalog slice.
The short answer
Zatarain's averages 97.3/100 across the 156 of 188 tracked products that carry an ingredient list, and 28.2% of those contain at least one separately flagged ingredient. The figure summarizes Open Food Facts labels cross-referenced with FDA SAFFA and CSPI; it does not establish recall status, allergy suitability, or the composition of products outside this snapshot.
- 97.3/100
- average ingredient-screening score across 156 scored products
- 188
- tracked products in this brand roll-up
- 28.2%
- scored products with at least one flagged ingredient
- 85.5%
- of NOVA-classified products that are ultra-processed (Group 4)
Source snapshot current as of September 2026; open individual products before making a product-specific decision.
Portfolio reading
Use the distribution, then open the outliers
With 188 tracked products, the useful signal is the shape of the portfolio rather than one headline score. The current concern-sorted list begins Blackened Chicken Alfredo; Zatarain's, sausage & chicken gumbo; New orleans style penne pasta with diced white meat chicken and sausage, onions, bell peppers and spices, new orleans style pastalaya; 28.2% of records contain at least one flagged ingredient while the overall mean is 97.3/100. Open those outliers first, then compare neighboring formulations. The aggregate does not establish recall status, allergen suitability, or the composition of an item outside this snapshot.
| Signal | Zatarain's | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Avg safety score | 97.3/100 | Above-average |
| Products tracked | 188 | OpenFoodFacts US index |
| Flagged ingredients | 28.2% | FDA SAFFA + CSPI flag overlap |
What the Data Says About Zatarain's
Zatarain's: 188 products tracked, 156 with an ingredient list, avg safety score 97.3/100, 28.2% of those scored products has at least one flagged ingredient.
28.2% of the scored Zatarain's products contain at least one separately flagged ingredient. That distribution is the primary finding; the average does not make those affected formulations "mostly safe." Scoring methodology + dye-pledge context →
Across the 894,137 products we index overall, the average safety score is 92.8/100, and Zatarain's sits 4.5 points above that fleet-wide average. Among the 804 brands with 50+ products (the typical brand in that group flags 18% of its catalog), Zatarain's's 28.2% flagged share is 10.2 points above that cohort median.
Processing mix (NOVA)
Zatarain's processing intensity
Zatarain's's NOVA-classified set is 152 products: 85.5% ultra-processed (Group 4, 130 items) with Group 4 (ultra-processed) largest at 130. That ultra-processed share sits 7.2 points above the 78.3% median for 1,323 brands with 50+ products. NOVA is processing intensity, not additive safety.
Shelf mix
Where Zatarain's shows up in Open Food Facts
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Zatarain's concentrates in Meals (61, 45% of this top-five); Condiments (34); Frozen foods (17); Plant-based foods and beverages (13); Cooking helpers (10).
Average score by leading shelf label
| Shelf | Scored n | Avg | Flagged |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meals | 61 | 98.3/100 | 34.4% |
| Condiments | 34 | 99.4/100 | 11.8% |
| Frozen foods | 17 | 83.8/100 | 94.1% |
| Plant-based foods and beverages | 13 | 100/100 | 0% |
| Cooking helpers | 10 | 100/100 | 0% |
Cohort context
Flagged-ingredient share among large brands
Zatarain's's 28.2% flagged share is measured across 156 scored products. The chart places that rate against the 50 brands with 50+ scored products in this snapshot, the same qualifying cohort used on the rankings page.
Zatarain's flagged share vs large-brand cohort
28.2% of scored products carry at least one flagged ingredient
28% 0th percentile is at or above the flagged share of 0% of the 50 qualifying brands we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more qualifying brands. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 0%–10%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 10%–20%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 20%–30%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 30%–40%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 40%–50%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 50%–60%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 60%–70%
- 0 qualifying brands (0%)
- 70%–80%
- 3 qualifying brands (6%)
- 80%–90%
- 25 qualifying brands (50%)
- 90% and above
- 22 qualifying brands (44%)
Source Open Food Facts × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Portfolio shape
How scores cluster inside this brand
The brand average (97.3/100) summarizes 156 scored products. This distribution shows whether that mean sits on a tight cluster or a wide spread, a few low-scoring SKUs can matter even when the headline average looks strong.
Zatarain's product score distribution
Brand average 97.3/100 across 156 scored products
97 17th percentile sits above 17% of the 156 scored products we track
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more scored products. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Distribution as text
- 50–60
- 1 scored products (1%)
- 70–80
- 4 scored products (3%)
- 80–90
- 5 scored products (3%)
- 90–100
- 34 scored products (22%)
- 100 and above
- 112 scored products (72%)
Source Open Food Facts product labels × FDA SAFFA × CSPI · September 2026
Zatarain's relies most on Caramel Coloring, an industry staple
Across the 156 Zatarain's products scored here, Caramel Coloring appears in 34. It is used by 3,551 other brands in this database (10.1% of them), so its presence says more about the category than about this brand. A flag records that a named source raised a concern about an ingredient. It is not a finding that a product is unsafe to eat.
| Flagged ingredient | Zatarain's products | Why it is flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Caramel Coloring | 34 | Restricted: California (Prop 65 warning for 4-MEI) |
| Carrageenan | 9 | Concern recorded by a review body; no ban cited |
| Sodium Nitrite | 5 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| BHT | 3 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| BHA | 1 | Restricted: California (warning required under Prop 65) |
| Propyl Gallate | 1 | Preservative with a recorded concern |
| Yellow 5 | 1 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
| Yellow 6 | 1 | FDA voluntary phase-out target 2027-12-31 (a request, not a ban) · Restricted: California (schools) |
Counts are products in this database whose ingredient list names the flagged ingredient. Flags come from FDA enforcement actions, CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings and US state ingredient laws; see the methodology for how each source is applied.
Visible product sample
Label complexity does not determine the screening result
Each point is one of the 50 concern-sorted Zatarain's records shown below. Horizontal position is the number of resolved ingredients on that product's stored label; vertical position is its source-derived screening score. The dashed medians (29.5 ingredients and 95/100) divide this displayed sample only. A longer label is not automatically worse: open a specific product to inspect its flagged rows and source coverage.
- Shown records
- 50
- Median label
- 29.5 ingredients
- Median score
- 95/100
The outlined point is Blackened Chicken Alfredo, the displayed record with the most flagged ingredients (3). Bubble size represents flagged ingredient count plus one, so zero-flagged products remain visible. The score is derived from FDA SAFFA and CSPI fields; this chart does not establish recall status, dietary suitability, or a health outcome.
Read the plotted values
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo: 94 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 3 flagged.
- Zatarain's, sausage & chicken gumbo: 71 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 3 flagged.
- New orleans style penne pasta with diced white meat chicken and sausage, onions, bell peppers and spices, new orleans style pastalaya: 66 resolved ingredients, 75/100, 3 flagged.
- New orleans style zesty three cheese in a golden crust snackers, three cheese: 54 resolved ingredients, 50/100, 2 flagged.
- Red Beans & Rice With Sausage: 53 resolved ingredients, 70/100, 2 flagged.
- Jambalaya Flavored With Sausage: 50 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Zatarain's, jambalaya chicken & sausage: 48 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Zatarain's, creamy cajun style pasta: 74 resolved ingredients, 80/100, 2 flagged.
- Bourbon Chicken Pasta: 82 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Shrimp Alfredo: 76 resolved ingredients, 85/100, 1 flagged.
- Dirty Rice With Beef & Pork: 34 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Blackened Chicken With Yellow Rice: 51 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New Orleans Style Blackened Chicken Alfredo: 80 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style shrimp scampi with pasta shrimp and pasta in a creamy lemon butter sauce: 90 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style blackened chicken alfredo: 82 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Jambalaya: 16 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Southern Stroganoff Pasta Dinner Mix: 37 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style dirty seasoned white rice with bell peppers, herbs and spices, new orleans style: 25 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Zatarain's, big easy heat & serve rice, jambalaya: 25 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Zatarain's, big easy red beans & rice: 24 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style long grain white rice with sweet and spicy southern style bbq seasonings mix side dish, new orleans style southern bbq: 25 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style seasoned cajun brown rice with traditional louisiana herbs and spices: 23 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Zatarain's, brown rice jambalaya mix: 15 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Zatarain's, dirty brown rice mix: 15 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style black beans & rice seasoned white rice with black beans and bell peppers: 24 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Blackened chicken alfredo zesty creamy cheese sauce & seasoned white meat chicken in a golden crust snackers, blackened chicken alfredo: 62 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style bourbon chicken flavored rice, bourbon chicken: 37 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style black beans and rice, new orleans style: 28 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style jambalaya mix, new orleans style: 16 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Zatarain's, red beans and rice: 27 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Zatarain's, dirty rice mix: 16 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style creamy cajun-style pasta, seasoned grilled white chicken and rotini pasta in a savory, creamy, cajun-style sauce: 75 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Bake and Crisp: 30 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Bake & crisp pork breading mix, pork: 32 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Bake & Crisp Seafood: 28 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style gumbo pasta dinner mix: 25 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Jambalaya pasta dinner mix: 24 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style scampi pasta dinner mix: 32 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Jambalaya: 16 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Zatarain's, gumbo base: 25 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Crab cake mix: 39 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style salmon cake mix, new orleans style: 38 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style smothered chicken rice mix, smothered chicken: 32 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- New orleans style black beans and rice reduced sodium long grain white rice and black beans seasoned with bell pepper, onion and garlic: 28 resolved ingredients, 95/100, 1 flagged.
- Chicken smoked sausage: 16 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Cheddar broccoli long grain white rice and broccoli florets in creamy blend of cheeses rice side, cheddar broccoli: 29 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Yellow rice, long grain rice lightly seasoned with bell peppers, onions and garlic: 17 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Zatarain's new orleans style fish fri seafood: 7 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- Zatarains new orleans style seasoned fish fri mix: 19 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
- New orleans style shrimp fri seafood breading mix seasoned: 27 resolved ingredients, 100/100, 0 flagged.
Products by Zatarain's
Showing 50 display-quality records, sorted by concern level (most flagged first); 138 tracked records with unusable upstream names remain in the aggregate but are not shown.
Nationwide brands with similar catalog profiles
Two PlainFoodSafe-derived peer sets for Zatarain's: closest on tracked product count (188 here) and closest on average ingredient screening score (97.3/100 here). Rows stay link-disjoint so each axis is a distinct neighborhood, not a largest-catalog strip.
Similar product count
Nearest other brands by Open Food Facts product count (floored at ≥50).
Similar average screening score
Nearest other brands by average ingredient screening score (floored at ≥50 scored products), distinct from the count row.
Counts and averages from Open Food Facts labels screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine; neither axis is a health outcome.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zatarain's food safe? ▼
Zatarain's has an average safety score of 97/100 across the 156 of 188 tracked products that carry an ingredient list. 28.2% of those contain flagged ingredients.
How many Zatarain's products are tracked? ▼
Our database tracks 188 Zatarain's products. 156 include an ingredient list and can be screened against FDA SAFFA and CSPI data; 32 cannot be scored from this snapshot.
How processed is the Zatarain's catalog? ▼
Zatarain's has 152 NOVA-classified products; 85.5% are ultra-processed (Group 4, 130 items) and Group 4 is the largest slice. NOVA describes processing intensity, not whether additives on a label are flagged.
Which shelves dominate the Zatarain's catalog? ▼
In Open Food Facts shelf labels, Zatarain's concentrates in Meals (61, 45% of this top-five); Condiments (34); Frozen foods (17); Plant-based foods and beverages (13); Cooking helpers (10).
Does Zatarain's use artificial dyes? ▼
Open the individual product pages below to see which Zatarain's items list a synthetic dye on their label. For whether the company has committed to removing dyes, the FDA and CSPI both publish corporate-commitment trackers; we no longer restate those commitments here.
What to do with this Zatarain's profile
Use this roll-up as orientation, then verify the specific package you hold against its ingredient panel and the named official sources.
- Start with Blackened Chicken Alfredo, the displayed product with the most flagged ingredients (3) in this sample. Open the outlier product
- Caramel Coloring appears in 34 scored Zatarain's products, review why each source flags it before treating the brand average as uniform. Review flagged ingredient counts
- Compare Zatarain's's 97.3/100 average and 28.2% flagged share against other brands before treating either figure as a recall or clearance signal. Brand safety rankings
- Cross-check any additive concern against FDA SAFFA and CSPI Chemical Cuisine rather than relying on this derived index alone. Scoring methodology
A flagged ingredient records a source concern, not a recall, ban, or medical clearance. Always verify the current package label and consult official sources for product-specific decisions.
Citation & disclaimer notes
Brand scores aggregate ingredient-level FDA SAFFA + CSPI Chemical Cuisine ratings across Open Food Facts product data. See our methodology. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFoodSafe.Disclaimer: Informational purposes only; not professional advice. A flagged ingredient is not a recall or a ban. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainFoodSafe is rendered directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no number is typed in by an editor. Brand figures are computed directly from OpenFoodFacts and FDA data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2026.
